Hate in America

There is no doubt that our civilization, certainly the United States, is experiencing a rise in hate at this moment, so let’s take a look at the factors that may lie behind that phenomenon.

Russian involvement.  All 17 U.S. intelligence agencies tell us that the Russians are hugely invested in campaigns, focused on both the 2016 and the upcoming 2020 elections, to polarize Americans, to pull us out of the political middle, and firmly into either the left or right. 

The U.S. president’s rhetoric.  Trump a) communicates far more often than any of his predecessors, b) lies 12 – 13 times a day, normally on news items that are inflammatory in nature, and c) uses messaging like Russia, i.e., aimed at dividing Americans.

Economic stagnation.  Though the wealth of the rich has grown enormously over the past 40 years, real wages of working class American are barely budging. 40% are now incapable of covering a $400 unplanned expense.  27 million have no healthcare coverage.  15 million children (21%) live in poverty.  700,000 hungry Americans just got kicked off food stamps.  22 veterans commit suicide every day, some, to be sure, from the vet population of the 40,050 that is homeless.

Normalizing social diseases, support for which was formerly near zero.  Almost half of Americans support the presidents policies that, just a few years ago, would have had virtually no backing: cruelty to children, blatant obstruction of justice, destroying the environment for profit, cuts to Medicare and Social Security, and pardons to corrupt politicians.

Condoning racist hate groups.  The U.S. president hasn’t immediately and unequivocally condemned white nationalists, and his senior adviser Stephen Miller actively promotes white nationalist articles. This latter discovery would end the careers of most political figures, but, as The Guardian noted, among calls for Miller’s resignation, a common theme emerged: a lack of surprise that the architect of Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda endorsed white supremacist views, since he has stoked bigotry, hate and division with his extreme political rhetoric and policies throughout his career.

There is a reason for the rise in hate that America is experiencing: we’re actively manufacturing it.